Maggie Perowne is head of Old Masters at Klinsky's auction house in London. Ben Glazier is an art expert. Ben, not as young as he was, is inescapably in love with Maggie, but she has an unfortunate taste for such dubious young men as the Hooray Henry in the wine department.

Together Ben and Maggie form a crack team that blends integrity and professionalism with a keen eye for uncovering the mysterious circumstances surrounding priceless works of art. Take for exaple the matter of the underpriced Raphael, or the questionable Bronzino, or even the Cellini salt cellar. Magie and Ben may be able to detect the fakes at one hundred paces, but spotting the forger may cause trickier problems...